Valley of Fire State Park

I have read about this terrific park since we were in Vegas last year and really wanted to make the 50m trek to see it this go-round. We had had enough of the urban and made the drive on Sunday afternoon.

Deserts are all different! Seems odd to say, but we had driven northwest a few weeks ago and this drive northeast was way different. You leave town sooner, for one thing. Nellis AFB may be somewhat responsible for that because they occupy most of the area. It is much drier as evidenced by scant, puny vegetation. The surrounding mountains are grassy at best, mostly rock. Not even a Joshua Tree or yucca breaks the landscape. This range is called the Muddy Mountains. I can't imagine how long ago they were ever wet, but the color certainly captures the right image.

None of this prepares you for the splash of reds that break loose once you approach the park. It is reminiscent of Bryce Canyon, Red Rock Canyon or Sedona, but some of the formations are unique. Our first stop was the Beehives, swirly rocks with wild wind/sand-made hash marks that dot the flatter landscape. Past the visitor center you climb into huge red and orange boulders that are streaked in white and broad canvases of black oxidation. A sandy floor with small shrubs and grasses separates formations. We were fortunate that many are still in bloom!

We stopped for a short hike to the Mouse's Tank, named for a Piute Indian infamous to the area. I was excited because this is the trail that boasts the most petroglyphs of the area. We entered with our usual "Get some exercise" approach to a hike no matter where we are. We spotted the first drawings on one of those black surfaces of a rock at about eye level. Wonderful, crude etchings that communicate to us from hundreds of years ago. We began to see more as our eyes got trained. Russell got really good at spotting lone pictures and some that were fading as the black top layer wears away. He really worked to help me see things that were perfectly obvious to him.

We got to the tank, a little bit of water and turned to make our way back to the car. The more we walked, the more these pictoglyphs popped out at us. They were EVERYWHERE! The very best were right at the trailhead. Just goes to show that you have to slow down sometimes.

Our trip was further enhanced by Phillip, Nicholas and their parents. Their Dad had a high-powered zoom and was able to point us to some of the higher art that we would not have seen otherwise. We had to wonder how did those guys get up there? Phillip is 6 and somewhat vocal about the "long" walk of half a mile. But really, walking in sand is way different than a hard top. We enjoyed seeing the walk from his angle.

Our next stop was cut short by the late time and waning energy. We did get to see the wonderful shades of red, purple, yellow, and much more along the Rainbow Trail. We got to see less than half of the 1.75m trek. Next trip! There are about 20 scenic stops on the park map and additional trails. We only got to 3 of them, there will be a next trip!

Pictures to follow, that is another story!